Porsche Driving Courses Can Make the Perfect Christmas Present

Porsche offers a host of driving courses and gifts to please every motoring fan. Book a ‘Porsche Driving Experience’ at the Porsche Experience Centre, Silverstone, venture further afield to the unique Arctic driving facilities in Finland or choose the perfect gift from the latest collection of Porsche Design Driver’s Selection items, now available online from the Porsche Shop or from Porsche Centres nationwide.

From Winter 2010, Porsche is offering the ultimate driving gift priced at £275. The new ‘Porsche Driving Experience’ provides the lucky recipient the opportunity to create their own completely bespoke programme, including an unrivalled level of 90 minutes driving time. Accompanied by a highly experienced Porsche Driving Consultant, the participant chooses which Porsche they wish to drive, which bespoke track areas they wish to use and how much time they spend on each activity. Sessions can be customised further by selecting to drive more than one Porsche model during the course and by choosing a Turbo or GT model for an additional charge.

The popular Evolution 911 course (£325) in which participants drive a selection of the iconic model from throughout the decades and YouDrive@Porsche (£165), which gives guests the opportunity to drive their own car on the Porsche tracks are also available throughout 2011.

For those looking to venture further afield, Porsche offers a number of four-day intensive Winter Driving Experiences, running between the 28th January and 1st March 2011, based at dedicated facilities within the Arctic Circle, focused on improving driver performance in extreme weather conditions. Working with expert instructors, the three levels of course offered through the Porsche Travel Club are available to anyone with the desire to perfect their winter driving skills in a location that can only be accessed by the privileged few.

For Porsche fans looking to take a piece of the Stuttgart marque home with them, the new winter collection from Porsche Design Driver’s Selection offers products celebrating the best of the brand, past, present and future. The full collection is available to order online at www.porsche.co.uk/shop or from Porsche Centres nationwide.

Young Porsche fans can get behind the wheel to celebrate the company’s heritage with a 356 Ride-on Electric Car (£288). Emulating the iconic style of this classic model, the 356 is suitable for children aged between three and five. For children wishing to travel a little faster, the lightweight, aluminium Kid’s Bike (£229) can be both push-a-long or pedal-powered and is perfect for the budding cyclist. Even the youngest of family members can take to the wheel of a Porsche on the Baby Boxster, which has been designed by the Porsche Design Studio (£68) for children from one to three years old.

The popular Porsche Bobsleigh (£170) is available again in 2010 for those heading out on winter alpine adventures, or wrap up warm with a selection of clothing celebrating the Porsche Martini Racing success. The range includes men’s and women’s jackets (£79.00), rugby shirts (from £50), model cars (from £27) and glassware (from £50) liveried with the famous blue and orange racing colours.

For the year ahead, a number of calendars and diaries are available inspired by the efficiency and performance displayed by Porsche in 2010. The 2010 Style Calendar (£40) is limited to just 3,555 serial numbered copies, and features excerpts from the 918 Spyder Design study and early drawings of the 911 GT3 R Hybrid and the Cayenne Hybrid.

1.The Porsche Driving Experience. Priced from £275, driving a model of choice from the Porsche range, participants can explore the 3.1km of specially designed track at the Porsche Experience Centre, incorporating five different driving elements: Handling, Kick plate, Ice Hill, Low-friction and Off-road.

2.Evolution 911. Fans of the 911 can indulge in a journey through the heritage of this iconic model with the Evolution 911 course. Costing £325 for a 90 minute programme, it is the perfect starting point for drivers to travel back through the historic years of sports car performance, and experience for themselves the unique feel, character and driver involvement offered by the 911.

3.YouDrive@Porsche: held on various Saturdays throughout 2011. The fun and action-packed half-day programme for drivers of all backgrounds behind the wheel of their own car, incorporates handling exercises on the unique Ice Hill and kick-plate as well as a chance to try a Porsche 911 sports coupe around the Centre’s outer handling circuit. The course costs £165 and is open to drivers over 18 years of age.

4. Porsche Winter Driving Experiences, 2011: Three individual courses that are designed exclusively by Porsche and run from two of the most picturesque and challenging driving facilities in the world. For further information about Camp4 (28th January – 1st February 2011, from £3,990), Camp4S (5th – 9th February 2011, from £4,590.00) and Ice Force (25th February – 1st March 2011, from £5,690.00) email: travel.club@porsche.co.uk or call 08443 573911.